SAN DIEGO – If one positive emanated from Navy’s emphatic defeat at the hands of Notre Dame on Saturday night it was the performance of fullback Mike Martin.

Due to a convergence of circumstances, Martin saw his most significant action of the season and he responded with a strong outing.

Martin rushed for a career-high 56 yards on 10 carries with the bulk of that production coming on one beautiful touchdown run. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior scored Navy’s third and final touchdown on a 33-yard burst up the middle.

“I thought Mike played really, really well and did a lot of good things in this game,” Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said afterward.

Martin has been the team’s third-string fullback all season, getting limited game repetitions behind starter Nelson Smith and backup Anthony Gargiulo. The upstate New York native entered Saturday night’s contest with just 14 carries with the majority of those coming off a quick pitch play that was designed specifically for him.

That particular play has produced some big gains and Martin has picked up 91 yards on the season, an average of 6.5 per attempt.

Navy took a four-game losing streak into Saturday night's game against No. 3 Notre Dame in San Diego

“I’ve just settled into my role and tried to make plays when I’m called upon,” Martin said after Saturday night’s 44-22 loss to Notre Dame. “Whenever the coaches call on me, I’m going to be there and I’m going to give all I’ve got.”

Martin received a majority of the backup reps in practice last week because Gargiulo has been hampered by a hamstring issue. Fullbacks coach Mike Judge was pleased by what he saw out of the senior and Martin was very much in the game-plan for Notre Dame.

“Because Garge has been down, Mike has been practicing this whole week and doing really well,” Niumatalolo explained.

Martin’s role expanded during the game because Smith suffered an ankle injury during the first quarter and did not return the rest of the way.

“Garge has been kind of banged up a little bit and Nelson got hurt during the game,” Niumatalolo said when asked why Martin played so much.

Martin certainly made the most of the opportunity, exhibiting the “next man up” mentality the Navy coaching staff has always preached. Martin, who was once a highly-touted recruit out of Pine Bush High, has developed a team-first approach as his collegiate career winds down.

“I go to practice and meetings every day and work hard and try to implement what they’re teaching us to the best of my ability,” he said. “Honestly, my whole attitude toward this thing has been shifted. Despite our record, I’m not letting that get me down. I’m trying to stay positive and project that attitude to my teammates.”

That being said, Martin could not deny the excitement of scoring his first career touchdown. That was undeniable from the reaction of the senior fullback in the end zone afterward.

“It definitely felt good. I haven’t seen the end zone for a while so that was fun,” he said.

Martin scored on second down after safety Jake Springer had made an interception in Notre Dame territory. It was a typical dive play and Martin found a big hole off the right side, cut right momentarily then darted back left around a block by guard David Forney and accelerated past several defensive backs.

That might seem like a harsh assessment by Corso, a former Navy assistant who has always been very supportive...

“It was pretty much wide-open. I broke through the first level and saw Forney in front of me so I figured I would be a little patient and set him up then I just cut the opposite way,” Martin said.

Martin was recruited to Navy as a slotback and has maintained his speed despite adding weight and strength in order to make the transition to fullback. Navy has six games remaining and it will be interesting to see if the senior sees an expanded role in light of Saturday night’s performance.

“I think I can personally build off this. There is still stuff I messed up on today so obviously I can get better,” he said. “I just have to keep working and bringing that positive vibe to practice.”

Martin did make one major mistake toward the end of the Notre Dame game, fumbling on the outside pitch play that has become his signature this season. It resulted in a 3-yard loss and a turnover that prevented the Midshipmen from adding to their point total.

“That was just a case of trying to run it before I caught it. It was wide-open and I got a little excited I guess,” Martin said.

HALFTIME ADJUSTMENT: Notre Dame had its two safeties running the alleys hard to take away the pitch element of the triple-option. Free safety Alohi Gilman and strong safety Jalen Elliott were a big reason why the Fighting Irish shut out the Midshipmen in the first half.

Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper made an adjustment at intermission, changing the blocking scheme to account for the safeties. An example came on slotback Malcolm Perry’s 58-yard run off a pitch to the left side. Wide receiver Taylor Jackson could be seen on replays cracking down on the safety and sealing off Elliott so Perry could race unhindered down the sideline.

Niumatalolo was asked afterward what Navy did to gain 274 yards in the second half after managing only 72 in the first half.

“We just tried to do some stuff with their safeties, which were playing zero coverage and being really aggressive against the run,” Niumatalolo explained. “So we just tried to do some stuff to slow them down a bit.”

PLAYMAKER: Senior safety Sean Williams caused a fumble by delivering a hard hit to wide receiver Miles Boykin on the very first play from scrimmage. It was the fifth forced fumble this season by Williams, who leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in that category.

Williams stood up Boykin as he tried to get yards after the catch and stripped the ball while making the tackle. Freshman cornerback Michael McMorris recovered the loose pigskin at the Notre Dame 36-yard line, giving the Mids a golden opportunity to start the game.

That marked just the second fumble Notre Dame has committed this season.

It was the third straight contest in which Williams had caused a fumble. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound team captain also recorded a season-high 11 tackles on Saturday night with 10 of those being solo stops.

Williams now ranks second on the squad with 52 tackles for the season.

PILE DRIVER: Senior Zach Abey continues to get the job done as a short-yardage and goal-line quarterback. The Archbishop Spalding product scored a pair of 1-yard touchdowns against Notre Dame and now has 10 on the season.

The Navy / Notre Dame football rivalry began in 1927, making it one of the longest rivalries in college football. Notre Dame owns the record 75-13-1. Navy last won the matchup in 2016. Here’s a look back at some of the early games.

Those 10 rushing touchdowns are tied for second in FBS among quarterbacks, trailing only the 11 by Houston standout D’Eriq King. That despite the fact Abey is a starting wide receiver for the Mids and is officially listed at that position by the NCAA statistics.

That means the Pasadena resident leads the country by a long shot in rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver. Abey has now scored 35 career touchdowns, which ranks fourth on Navy’s all-time list.

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Army West Point coach Jeff Monken and linebacker Kenneth Brinson address the media following the Army-Navy game.

Army West Point coach Jeff Monken and linebacker Kenneth Brinson address the media following the Army-Navy game.

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Army West Point coach Jeff Monken and linebacker Kenneth Brinson address the media following the Army-Navy game.

Army West Point coach Jeff Monken and linebacker Kenneth Brinson address the media following the Army-Navy game.

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A look at some pregame scenes at the 119th Army Navy Football Game in Philadelphia, PA.

A look at some pregame scenes at the 119th Army Navy Football Game in Philadelphia, PA.

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Navy fullback Anthony Gargiulo talks about playing the Army-Navy game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Navy fullback Anthony Gargiulo talks about playing the Army-Navy game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.